Making the Case for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson to Win NFL MVP in 2020

Months after becoming the NFL's highest-paid player, Russell Wilson got off to a torrid start for the Seahawks during the 2019 season.

Entering his eighth NFL season, Wilson carried Seattle to a 5-1 start, including road wins in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. During that span, he emerged as an MVP front-runner, throwing 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions, completing 72.5 percent of his passes, and posting a 124.7 passer rating.

Leading the league with 36 touchdown passes and rushing for an NFL record 1,206 rushing yards, however, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson surged past Wilson in the second half. The former Louisville star garnered MVP honors and was also named First-Team All-Pro.

Still, Wilson finished arguably his most impressive season as a pro with 31 passing touchdowns, 4,110 passing yards, and a 106.3 passer rating. He completed 66 percent of his passes for just the second time in his career and threw a career-low five interceptions while leading the playoff-bound Seahawks to an 11-5 record.

After finally breaking through and earning his first All-Pro selection behind Jackson, could Wilson add another milestone to his resume by winning MVP next season?

William Hill, America’s largest sports book operator, recently revealed its opening odds for the NFL 2020 MVP award. Wilson is listed as the third overall betting option at 8/1, behind only Patrick Mahomes and Jackson.

Challenging Mahomes and Jackson, who are both under 24 years of age and still far from finished products, will be challenging for Wilson. The Seahawks still employ a run-heavy approach, which limits his opportunities to air it out compared to the two front-runners.

Assuming Mahomes plays in all 16 games next season, he'll be looking to replicate his 2018 performance when he led the league with 50 passing touchdowns. Playing in coach Andy Reid's offense with play makers all over the field, the Chiefs should be a scoring juggernaut once again.

Now 32 years of age, Wilson also doesn't have the same wheels he did earlier in his career to bolster his case with rushing yardage. While he's still a threat to tuck and run and continues to be a master at extending plays, he's not going to threaten Jackson for the title as NFL's best dual-threat quarterback at this stage.

With that said, few quarterbacks have been more consistent than Wilson over the past five seasons. He's thrown at least 31 touchdowns in four of those seasons, completed 65 percent of his passes, and posted a cumulative 102.5 passer rating.

In the prime of his career, bettors should expect Wilson to be among league leaders in passing touchdowns once again, especially considering the talent around him. Along with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf returning, the Seahawks signed tight end Greg Olsen to pair with Will Dissly and added speedy receiver Phillip Dorsett, giving him two more receiving weapons at his disposal.

It's also worth noting that while Seattle will remain a run-dominant team, offseason moves addressing the offensive line suggest the organization is ready to listen to Wilson's please about opening up the offense in 2020.

Considering the offensive schemes they play in, Mahomes and Jackson will be the heavy favorites for MVP honors next season. But if the Seahawks do turn the keys over to Wilson a bit more with an improved supporting cast and let him cook, he belongs in the same class as a legitimate contender to become Seattle's first player to win the prestigious award since Shaun Alexander in 2005.

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